Iron Bowl Making A Move

Jason Caldwell

04/10/2009

Auburn, Ala.--Fans of Auburn and Alabama will have to cut their Thanksgiving plans short the next two years as the Iron Bowl is making a move to Friday.

On Friday, CBS Sports announced that it will televise the 2009 and 2010 Alabama-Auburn football games nationwide, but a change in the date is the byproduct of that decision. Games in both years will be moving to the Friday after Thanksgiving on the last weekend of the conference regular season schedule.

Originally scheduled for Nov. 28 on a Saturday, the 2009 game will instead be played on Nov. 27 at 1:30 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. The 2010 game will be played on Nov. 26 (Time TBA) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Commenting on the change, Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik said, "The Iron Bowl is the best rivalry in college football and the conference and CBS moving it to Friday will signify the kickoff of college football's biggest weekend."

It will be the first time an Iron Bowl game has been played on a Friday since Auburn and Alabama played on Friday in both 1987 and 1988.

Other Auburn vs. Alabama games played on Friday were the games plyed in 1974, 1903 and 1901.

"Moving the Iron Bowl is part of fulfilling the contractual arrangements between the Southeastern Conference and CBS," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said on Friday. "It will also be the marquee rivalry game that day and provide tremendous exposure on CBS for our program and our state."